In a chat with THR, Jeff Pinkner and Joel Wyman recall "toying with" the decision to move forward with the game-changing season finale.

July 29, 7:49 PM 7/29/2011 by Philiana Ng

Earlier this week, Fox released a new Fringe teaser asking Season 4's biggest question: Where exactly is Peter?

Showrunners Jeff Pinkner and Joel Wyman spoke to The Hollywood Reporter after the show's Comic-Con panel last weekend and what they said was mind-blowing and head-scratching.

Joshua Jackson joked to THR that he would like his alter ego to return to the cult sci-fi drama in a "flash of light," when the time came. Wyman, however, wasn't as giving. "You know, that is an assumption," he replied when asked about how Peter would return to the series. "He will not be another identity."

"For us, we are really using Peter's story this season to explore a lot of the basic rules of the show, which are choices and connection," Pinkner added.

But Wyman and Pinkner were adamant in dispelling any theories that questioned whether the events in the season finale actually happened.

"It really happened," Wyman reassured. "What we are trying to do from a conceptual standpoint is have the audience understand that it happened and you know it did happen. We watched it and there has been a catastrophe and it needs to be righted. It will either right itself properly or it will go in a very negative way. Now you have to understand what those repercussions are going to mean."

He added, "Peter sacrificed himself. He was a selfless hero. There are sacrifices; a sacrifice wouldn't be hard if it was easy."

Before they decided to go ahead with the finale, there were discussions about the events that unfolded that would affect the trajectory of the series.

"Before we decided to actually pull the trigger and do that season finale, we convinced ourselves that it happened and we were willing to play with consequences," Pinkner said. "I think it ends up in a place that is really kind of beautiful."

"When we were toying with it, it is analogous to this," Wyman explained. "In Fringe, we get to tell the quintessential kidnapping story, not about a kidnapping but about crossing universes. We get to tell the love triangle with two people who are the same person. We get to reinvent these trite situations."

Pinker agreed: "And we have characters that really hold up a mirror to themselves, having a second Walter and having a second Olivia really exposes sides of their characters that you wouldn't otherwise get."http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/fringe-producer-peters-return-he-217303

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Fringe star John Noble has revealed that his character Walter will struggle with insanity once again next season.

In the Fox sci-fi drama, Walter regained some of his faculties with help from son Peter (Joshua Jackson), but Peter was erased from history in the third season finale.

Noble explained: "Walter came out of that [psychiatric] hospital three seasons ago, and he was... pretty insane. [But if] he didn't have Peter to help him, he'd still be insane, so initially I think we'll see that."

He continued: "[Walter will] still work for Olivia and he'll still be brilliant, but he doesn't have that lovely softening element of a family."

However, Noble insisted that Peter will eventually return to restore the show's status quo, despite Joshua Jackson's recent claim that he had not returned to filming on Fringe.

I went to a Marvel Comics X-Men Panel and they spoke about a new huge storyline (Schism) that’s just started that’s going to change a lot. Before it was always Charles Xavier vs. Magneto. But since Cyclops has been leading and Wolverines has basically been his hitman and since they have always had a shaky trust / working relationship something finally happens to cause them to have a huge break, so much so that half of the X-Men are going to believing with Wolverine and the new dynamic will be Cyclops ideology vs. Wolverines with will replace the Professors X’s peace with Human’s ideal vs. Magnetos crush the humans before they crush us ideal. Cyclops has always been survival and drawing inwards. So I’m guessing that Wolverines side will be something that’s the opposite of that. It should be interesting. Bad thing though is that Uncanny X-Men is around issue 540 and after the big break they are going back to #1 with Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine and the X-Men, so unless they eventually go back to the old numbering we won’t have a #600 celebration or higher. (Which is a possibility) But is seems like a cool story which will spin into other cool stories.

I went to a “Lost: One Year Later with Jeff "DOC" Jensen & Dan Snierson Panel. They were talking about Jeff giving a gift to Dan of a Lost Deleted scene video and suddenly a Stormtrooper runs in telling them to stop and to not show the tape/ He rips his helmet off to reveal Carlton Cuse! Then someone else charges in in a Star Wars costume yelling that the tape must be shown and it was revealed that he was Damon Lindelof! So they agree to finally show it but before they do Darlton talks about how they had made a scene in season one that proved that they did have things planned out since season 1. It was a fake deleted scene from the season one finale Exodus with Locke & Jack arguing about how they were all brought there by the island and it showed Jacob and MIB in the background watching them and discussing about how MIB had become the Smoke Monster, Jacob bringing everyone to the island and MIB made fun of Jacobs island/bottle analogy. Very funny, it’s great to see how well Darlton can make fun of each other.

The rest was a Q & A

What would you change? Damon Only 5 seasons Carlton: No Tattoo episode. LOL -- (Some artist went through some natural disaster and so Carlton bought a bunch of prints of a Lost characters in a Star Wars poster to give away to all those who ask questions.)

Any blowback from ABC for the religious aspects (Rose praying with Charlie example)? No ABC was really supportive of it they really tried to represent all religions.

Why couldn’t Widmore and Ben kill each other? Because they believed that they couldn’t.

Who was in the season 5 outrigger? There are unanswered questions in life just like the show. (Dodge) They purposely withheld the answer from the show because trying to answer it caused too many problems.

I asked them if Libby’s back story was always supposed to be what we saw on screen. (I sited the crazy fan rumors about Libby being a spy for Widmore or her ex-Husband dying in the deck accident that Hurley caused and her wanting revenge) They told me that what was on the screen had always been planned.

Walt Question. Never was going to answer WHY Walt was special. They said that the why questions are not ones they really should be answering. Walt was there to show that there were people who were special. Along with Miles Hurley Locke etc.

They revealed that Michael Giacchino was in the audience. Afterwards I gave a set of Lost Trading Cards to Jeff Jensen and Dan Sniderson.

Friday night I went to a Lost get together hosted by Jay & Jack of the Jay & Jack Podcasts and was able to meet Kris White, the guy who ran the Official Lost Podcasts with Darlton. We talked about his experience with making the podcasts with Darlton, along with a personal Graphic Novel writing project that he has set up through Kickstarter which allows people to donate to his project and gain things like early copies of the book, being made a character in the book and other things and he plans on using the money to pay an artist for the illustrations. Damon Lindelof has given him a referal along with other writers.

The next day I went down to the Fox booth early to get a ticket for the Fringe signing but it was such a mob and the stupid booth people kept telling everyone the wrong place to go. I was on one side and they told us to go to the other side this went on for a few minutes and during that time there was almost two fights and people almost got trampled. I didn't worry about myself since I'm sturdy, but I worried about some of the smaller people. They had to close the ticket give outs so I missed out. I could have gotten in the line at the end during the time of the actual signing like I did last year for a possible chance, but then I might have missed the actual Fringe Panel.

New Live action superhero shows “AKA Jessica Jones” with characters Carol Danvers and Luke Cage (ABC), a new Hulk TV show (ABC), a “Cloak and Dagger” show patterned after the comicbook (ABC Family) and "Mockingbird” (ABC Family). So lots of comicbook stuff to try and fill the Smallville void. Plus animated Ultimate Spiderman, Hulk and the Agents of Smash along with season 2 of The Avengers, they showed the season 2 Premiere which they teamed up with the Fantastic Four to combat Dr. Doom which was awesome.

On my way to the Jay & Jack Panel I ran into Ryan Ozawa of the awesome Hawaii Blog and gave him a set of Lost Trading Cards since he had helped me with a few things during my 10th anniversary trip to Hawaii last November.

In the Panel Kris White, Ryan Ozawa and Jay & Jack discussed and answered audience questions about their podcasting experiences and with Lost in General. They were giving out Lost Action Figures to those who asked questions.

I rushed and got in line for the Fringe Panel and got in to the previous Vampire Diaries Panel and then was able to make it up closer when that panel ended.

The Fringe Panel was awesome, I got into the Q & A line at the beginning and they started like always with a clip real that highlighted all of the main characters. Then all of them came out, the two main showrunners Jeff Pinkner & JH Wyman, along with Anna Torv (Olivia), John Noble(Walter), Lance Reddick (Broyles), Blair Brown (Nina), Jasika Nicole (Astrid) and Seth Gabel (Lincoln Lee) (who is becoming a full time cast member.)

John Noble said: “You guys are the best fans that ever existed, thank you from all of us very sincerely”. Pinkner & Wyman said “We’ve got to address the elephant in the room. Somebody’s not here — Gene booked milk commercial.” They spoke about how they decided to let go of Joshua Jackson them because of how expensive he was so they had auditions for a new actor to play Peter and they showed a clip of auditions Fringe Audition Tape: Rebecca Mader, Damon Lindelof, Michael Emerson, Greg Grunberg, Jeff Probst, Jorge Garcia and many others in [Peter Bishop] audition video.

J.H. Wyman said “There is no Peter. He doesn’t exist.” Joshua Jackson enters panel. Wearing Observer suit and fedora. Anna Torv asked If Peter doesn’t exist, is there a child? Pinkner said “I’m not sure we’ve seen all of Olivia’s powers yet. What’s going to happen is really hard to answer because we think it would spoil letting the show unfold.” Lance Reddick was asked to impersonate William Bell which was very funny. Joshua teases Lance about the impersonation and Lance replies “You don’t exist anymore so stop talking”John Noble has a soft spot for Walternate, he could understand why he would do what he did and the justifications. Josh Jackson later jokes with John Noble: “You shot my wife in the head!Seth Gabel says he’s more like Over Here Lincoln. Joshua asked about whether he wishes that he had an alternate. Jackson enjoyed free time not having to play an alt-Peter, however S4 will take him to a different arena. “I don’t think Peter will ever have an alternate, but however he gets folded back into the story, it will be a very different version than what we’ve seen before. He’s in a different place now.” Jasika Nicole was asked something that she didn’t want to answer and started singing “Astrid has a gun”.Pinkner/Wyman said “What’s been great about flashback episodes is that it’s deepened the emotions of these characters” / “We’ve loved them as well and it’s our intent to keep doing that. We’ll always go back and forward if it suits the story and the things we are trying to get across.” John Noble: “Walter and Nina have an affair in Season 5.” Joshua Jackson screams, “Mommmy!” (I got about 4 people away from the microphone when they cut the line off.)

The Cast then turn to ask the audience trivia questions for "Save Peter" T-Shirt prizes. Jasika asks: What type of sandwich did Walter make for Astrid when she was trying to crack the code in season three? Cucumber, avocado, cheese and tortilla chips. Anna Torv asks what color was Walter’s suit that he got married in. Purple. John Noble asks: Roscoe (Christofer Lloyd) was keyboard player in a band. What other instrument did he play on record cover? Drums. Blair Brown: “What did Peter promise Nina in equestrian ring in S1?” He would owe her a favor. The Panel swag was a luggage tag with a changeing picture on the front with the two Olivia’s on one side and the two Walters on the other with a disappearing and reappearing Peter in the middle. It said on the back “If found in this Universe or the other side, please contact:" with lines to fill out your address.

After that was able to jump to the front row for the Alcatraz panel. They actually showed the Pilot Episode which I loved. It reminds me of Fringe with the cop aspects and Jorge is kind of a nerdy mix of Hurley & Walter and Sam Neil is kind of a Broyles type. The main girl is pretty with a hidden family history that not even she knows about. It’s a total find the murderer on his killing spree before he kills everyone on his list. Plus there’s the Lost type mystery of who zapped all these prison inmates to the present and is letting a new one loose each episode to exact revenge each episode and how did they do it?Elizabeth Sarnoff (Showrunner), Jack Bender (Writer), Jorge Garcia (Alcatraz Consultant), Sarah Jones (Main Cop and then FBI girl), Jeffrey Pierce (First Alcatraz inmate released and possiblely a bigger part then is revealed) and another actor (Fiance of the main girl) came out and spoke about the show for a very short time since they showed the Premiere. There was a lot of talk about how some of the similarities with Lost were purposeful, but that it was its own show.After that I tried to make the Person of Interest panel, but that got closed off. So all in all an exceptionally good Comic-Con this year

Preview the poster art for "The Simpsons" and as well as the rest of its San Diego swag. July 8, 3:06 PM 7/8/2011 by Lacey Rose, Lesley Goldberg With the countdown to Comic-Con heating up, Fox is offering a sneak peek for the true diehards.

You can get an exclusive first look at the network’s poster art for its Comic-Con-bound shows, including Glee, Terra Nova and Family Guy, here.

The company also has plans to dole out 16,000 collectible poster tubes, featuring a collage of images from Fox, 20th TV and cable channel FX fare as well as Fox Home Entertainment and Fox Consumer Products. Within, fans will again be able to store their Comic-Con-themed show posters, which producers and stars will be signing at Fox’s booth (#4313).

The net will also update fans with frequent updates, including press rooms and panels throughout Comic-Con weekend, on its website.http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/comic-con-2011-preview-foxs-209126

After a heart-stopping third season finale, the showrunners discuss what awaits them in Season 4, appreciation for “Twin Peaks” and how they’ll answer the probing Peter questions in San Diego.

July 9 2:45 PM 7/9/2011 by Philiana NgJ.H. Wyman, left, and Jeff PinknerWith hundreds of thousands of people attending San Diego Comic-Con every year and the July 20-24 event quickly approaching, The Hollywood Reporter chatted with the big names in television to discuss their favorite memories and tips for attending the annual event. THR’s Live Feed will talk Comic-Con with actors, writers and producers in the days leading up to the event so check back soon for interviews and the latest news on panels and screenings.

The Hollywood Reporter: What stands out from your first Comic-Con experience?

Jeff Pinkner: I’ve been there with the show for three years, and I went once prior to that as a fan. After I got off the shuttle bus, three women barely dressed in some version of Xena were standing behind a 300-pound man dressed as Elmo. That was Comic-Con in a nutshell.

THR: What’s the best thing a fan has said to you at Comic-Con?

J.H. Wyman: This will be my third Comic-Con, and a fan once said to me, “I can’t believe you’re really you.” It reinforced that they’re actually near somebody that’s associated with running a show that they’re into and love. I think that was a really sweet way for them to say, “I trekked all the way here to San Diego and I can’t believe we actually standing here having a conversation about Fringe.”

Comic-Con 2011: Full THR Coverage

THR: Are you ready for the onslaught of questions, especially regarding Peter, at this year’s panel?

Pinkner: A lot of them will be laden with expletives. It will all become clear; not at Comic-Con, but once [the show] premieres. All the questions that involve the name Peter will probably be hard ones to field.

THR: There will be many questions of “Does Peter exist? Can you tell us?”

Wyman: Twin Peaks. I’d really like to talk to David Lynch. It’s my favorite show and it was groundbreaking.

THR: Were you satisfied with the way Twin Peaks ended?

Wyman: I think the first season was the most impactful. Now running a show and knowing what you’re up against, I do realize that a lot of people plan for failure but they don’t really plan for success. It’s really hard to keep something going. If you go back in that timeline, nobody had ever done anything like that. They were probably feeling it out as well.

To me, Twin Peaks was seminal because it was what it was. I feel that about a lot of filmmakers. It’s their prerogative to take the show where it goes and if I’m really a fan, I’m going to really get off the artistry of the artist that I’m watching. It’s not mine to judge, it’s mine to be involved and see it. Being apart of that it gave me so much pleasure that I don’t think it’s fair to say I wasn’t happy.

Q&A: John Noble Explains the Low Ratings and Talks Third Universes, Reality Shows

THR: Do you have any tips on how to pull off a great presentation?

Wyman: It should always be something outrageous and entertaining as possible. People really give you a lot of leeway for the exceptional.

THR: If you were to dress up in costume for Comic-Con, who would you be?

Pinkner: Anything where I could carry a sword or a broad ax.

THR: Seth Gabel is a series regular. How is that dynamic going to change this season?

Pinkner: We just fell in love with him, which is why we wanted to bring him back. Thus far, we’ve spent very little time with one version of him, the Lincoln Lee on their side, so I think that we’ll probably want to explore his character as well.

THR: What’s ahead for Fringe in Season 4?

Wyman: It’s going to involve a couple of newer themes. We’re just taking you down the road a little further on the journey. You’ll be able to see people from the past and you’ll be able to meet new people throughout the season.Pinkner: Season 3 was about Walter coming to terms with truly coming to terms with the consequences of the damage that he had done when he broke two universes in order to save his son’s life and recognizing that in order to fix that damage, he may have to sacrifice that son, which was the choice he made in 2026. Peter recognizing that based on the trajectory that his universe was on, the love of his life Olivia was going to die in 2026 and he made the heroic choice to overt that outcome and now all of our characters, we find them in a place where we’re dealing with the consequences.http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/comic-con-2011-fringe-executive-209435

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Saturday 4:30-5:15 Fringe Screening and Q&A— Fringe returns to Comic-Con with series stars Anna Torv, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole, and John Noble and executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman for a Q&A with fans and an exclusive video presentation. Delve into parallel universes and alternate doppelgangers and join the discussion about this critically acclaimed thriller as Fringe continues to explore otherworldly cases with endless impossibilities. From Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Fringe airs Fridays at 9/8c on FOX, and Fringe: The Complete Third Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 6. Ballroom 20http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci11_prog_sat.php